Read Tempt Me for Free Online Page B

happy I came here with Joey. She understood just what was wrong with me. Kee would have tried to baby me and Retta would have just yelled at me. Still, I think I need to head home soon. Joey has other ideas." 
    “I bet she does. So, what kind of food are you in the mood for?” 
    She shrugged. “Nothing in particular. There is a great place just down the road. Well, a few great places. Home cooking or seafood?”
    “Home cooking.”
    “Then Northside 29 is your place.”
    She gave him directions then looked out the window.
    “Missing Savannah?”
    She shrugged again. “Some. I like to see the water on a regular basis and I miss my studio. But I am really enjoying being here for this. I think I need to make time for more trips out of Savannah. See more of the US if I can’t afford to make it to Italy.”
    “I love to travel, but like I’ve said, I’ve never been to Italy.” 
    “I guess it comes with the territory of being a brat.” When he glanced her, she clarified, “Traveling, I mean.” 
    He nodded as he pulled into the parking lot. “Makes it easier on you as a kid if you like changes. MJ was sick of it when she graduated from high school. Me, I love to pick up and go. I’ve been known to take a hop here and there when I have time off.” 
    “A hop?”
    “The Air Force sometimes has open seats on their transports and you can grab a seat really cheap. It’s easier being near one of their bases that do a lot of transports. So, when I have Lose or Use —”  
    “Speak regular English there, Marine.”
    He chuckled. “Sorry, when you live it every day, it’s hard not to fall into the acronyms and shortened names. Every year, we can keep up to seventy-five days of leave. Anything over that, we lose it, so hence the name.
    “Ah. Okay, continue.”
    “When I have some extra leave, I look into that.” She didn’t say anything for a few moments, so he looked at her. “What?” 
    “I know you’ll get irritated, but I would have never expected that from you.”
    “Why is that?”
    “Mr. Marine. Always do things by the book.”
    He smiled and leaned closer, brushing his mouth over hers. “Just so you know, I don’t do everything by the book. I have a few rules of my own that are really interesting.”
    She shivered in response, then sighed. “Okay, we better go in or I am going to convince you to go back to the Santinis house and show me those interesting things.” 
    He groaned and gave her another kiss. This one was hard, quick, and just enough to make them both lose breath.
    “You would tempt a saint. Let’s go in.”
    *  *  *  *  
    They never made it to the movies. They spent too much time talking and laughing at dinner. In fact, she couldn’t remember being this relaxed with a guy on the first date. Well, the first official date, that is. Maybe it was that, or maybe it was just that he was really putting her at ease. He flirted, but not too much, and he never pushed her on her rules.
    It was hard to ignore the attraction to him, though. Something seemed to simmer beneath her flesh every time she saw him. More and more she found herself wondering what it would feel like laying next to him with nothing on. He would be an amazing lover, there was no doubt about it. He was in good shape, but more importantly, Jesse Johnson paid attention to details.
    He pulled up in front of the Santinis’ house again and looked across the car to the porch. “Looks like they are waiting for ya.” 
    She turned and noticed the light was still on and laughed. “It’s been a long time since someone kept the porch light on for me.” 
    “How does it feel?” he asked as she turned to him. 
    “Kind of nice. Joey is overbearing but in a really great kind of way. And Papa, he’s so sweet.” 
    Jesse snorted.
    “What?” she asked.
    “The sweet man threatened me the other day.”
    “He did not.”
    “He did. He said he and the other four would make me disappear if I was mean to you. Of course,